India​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ is in action against New Zealand in their sixth match of the Women’s World Cup 2025 at the DY Patil International Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The hosts need to win the match at any cost. If they lose, their campaign on home soil will be virtually over.

It was again Smriti Mandhana who took the responsibility on her shoulders. Scoring for the third time in a row, Mandhana was the dream player as she scored a century and thus kept the India team alive in this very important ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌match.

She dazzled with a stunning 109 against New Zealand in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, but that was just the start of her historic day.

With this innings, Mandhana became the highest run-scoring opener in Women’s ODI history, surpassing New Zealand great Suzie Bates’ tally of 5,088 runs, achieving the milestone in 20 fewer innings.

Smriti Mandhana creates history with record-breaking six-hitting feat

As​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ part of her impressive performance, Mandhana hit out two massive sixes, thereby raising her count to 29 sixes in 2025 - the highest number of sixes by any batter in Women’s ODIs in a single calendar year. Thus, she overcame the record of Lizelle Lee from South Africa, who was previously credited with 28 sixes in ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌2017.

Mandhana​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ not only achieved her personal milestone but also kept on shining with her opening partner Pratika Rawal. The duo scored another hundred partnership, thus India got a perfect start against New Zealand.

It was their seventh century partnership, which is the highest for any Indian pair in Women's ODIs and the joint second-most in the entire history. Astonishingly, out of the seven, five partnerships have been made in 2025, thus equalling the record that was set by Australia's Belinda Clark and Leisa Knightley in ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌2000.